By Madisson Cameron, Mustang High School
Some people believe in star signs, others believe in fate, but Bartlesville senior Lucas Mann, 17, believes in trying everything he can to soar into his future.
Going through phases is a normal part of life. However, not all people see their phases as a list of random skills they’ve learned. Early on, Lucas developed an interest in technology and production, in part of his dad’s do-it-yourself mentality.
“When my dad was in the garage working, I would always sit there and watch him or hold the flashlight. It made me want to prove to myself that I could go into any situation and know how to fix or do whatever I need to,” Lucas said.
Ever since those early days in the garage, Lucas has taught himself to do many things like how to make water bottles out of spray paint cans and fixing phones out of curiosity. However, this interest didn’t always align with his academics.
The stress of tests and the pressure to graduate knowing what you want to do with your life, can be a lot to handle. For many people, that added pressure can be a lot of weight to bear, but it might be the key to a successful future.
“I feel like I’m always barely getting through unless it’s something I’m interested in because I want to learn,” Lucas said.
School hasn’t always been an easy feat for Lucas. During his sophomore year, he struggled with chemistry. It was hard for him to focus and understand the material, but this wasn’t the case with all of his classes.
Some classes were able to capture his attention and put him on a path he wasn’t expecting, like broadcasting.
“I saw it as a good filler class. Of course, it’s kind of like a glue trap. Once you’re in it, you’re stuck in it,” Lucas said.
Lucas enrolled in the class expecting it to be an easy A, but as he continued the course it played on his appreciation for production, which has continued through his high school career. Each week during the school year, he puts on a live broadcast and helps with everything from scripts to lighting. He’s experienced many things due to broadcasting, including a competition that ended in witnessing a car chase.
“It was one of the scariest, but coolest experiences that I’ve had and it was because of broadcasting. Most high schoolers would never get to experience that,” Lucas said.
However, broadcasting and fixing phones aren’t his only interests.
“I didn’t know I wanted to be a pilot until very recently. January is when it kind of clicked,” Lucas said.
Even though aviation is a recent interest, it’s one he’s taking very seriously. He plans on joining an internship for future pilots during his senior year. He’s always admired the idea of flying, but it’s the idea of learning more that interests him.
“It’s something I don’t know a lot about, and I could learn from doing it,” Lucas said.
This desire to learn more about aviation has pushed him into considering it as a career, but there’s one more step he has to take before flying.
After graduation, Lucas is considering many schools including the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University and a few schools in Florida. Even though he’s interested in aviation, he isn’t set on any major. He wants to be able to continue improving his skills.
Contrary to many beliefs, an individual’s future isn’t determined by one thing. You can believe in star signs and fate, but for people like Lucas, experience is key to success.
“There’s so many things that I want to do,” Lucas said, “but I know that I just have to choose one.”
